5 Ukrainian Fashion Designers to Follow

01.03.17

In the past few years Ukrainian fashion designers have emerged on the global stage. Destinations rounded up 5 more rising stars of Ukrainian Fashion.

Ukraine has been in the forefront of international thought a lot recently, but its reach has extended far beyond newspapers front pages —whether you were aware or not, the Ukrainian influence has fully arrived to the top world catwalks and became a big hit in a world fashion. Paskal garments are a perennial presence at Colette, Yulia Yefimtchuk took the Jury prize at last year’s Hyeres Fashion Festival and Vyshyvanka by Vita Kin are among most favorite garment summer 2016 pieces of Anna Dello Russo and Leandra Medine.Read: Ukrainian Fashion Week launches SS17 Campaign

Just a few weeks before Spring/Summer 2017 Ukrainian Fashion Week in Kiev, our web destinations.com.ua offers top 5 young and talented designers to follow. Those are rising talents and hopes of contemporary Ukrainian fashion industry. Ksenia Schnaider

Photo: Ksenia Schnaider Facebook PageKsenia Schnaider bagged a prize from Mercedes-Benz Kiev Fashion Days last season for her collection of dresses and casual pieces in digital prints, which were inspired by Ukranian embroidery. By enlarging the patterns and breaking up pixels, she created a feminine camouflage juxtaposed with graphic shapes in bold black, orange and white. Schnaider is a best seller at Asthik, Kiev’s new concept store, which mixes Marni, Valentino, Opening Ceremony, Kitsuné and other top brands with new Ukrainian talent. She’s also selling on her site with a new customized dress concept that allows customers to select their own print and style combination.Anna October

Photo: Anna October Facebook PageAnna October launched her eponymous brand at 19. Today, aged 25, she says her clothes are for “girls who act like ladies with elegance and a hint of craziness.” For last season, October created a collection of satin dresses, shorts and parkas embellished with hand beading and laser cut flowers, which became an absolute hit among buyers. The collection is produced in-house in Kiev with French and Italian fabrics.Anton Belinskiy

Photo: Anton Belinskiy Facebook PageAnton Belinskiy, who is on the short list for this year’s LVMH prize, designs patchwork, floor-sweeping dresses that resemble Matisse-style cutouts, and pairs them with mixed faux-fur coats and ‘80s retro knits. The designer cites industrial architecture, jigsaw puzzles and the country’s youth—who are keeping it cool despite the war and an uncertain economy—as his inspiration.RCR Khomenko

Photo: RCR Khomenko Facebook PageFor Fall 2105, designer Yasia Khomenko used simple shapes as a canvas for hand painting and patchwork. The clothes are inspired, she says, “by a girl lost in the woods suffering stress and the interior battle, between her heart and lungs, as she tries to find a way out.”DMDV

Photo: DMDV Brand Facebook PageOriginally, Olga Demydova produced pieces for other young Ukrainian designers, but now she designs her own line of urban basics that comes in psychedelic stripes, color blocking and vinyl. While Demydova only launched her brand last year, she’s already signed on to do a bag collection for Eastpak.Read: Ukrainian Ethnic Motifs in World FashionThe Ukrainian influence has fully arrived on catwalks worldwide. Now Ukrainian designers are creating the trendiest clothes that are widely recognized and loved in fashion capitals around the world. Don’t miss one of the most important fashion events of the year - the Ukrainian Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2017 happening in October in Kiev to explore the best of Ukrainian fashion.

We met with Olga Businello in Kyiv after her long day of flights, but, nevertheless, her eyes were shining and her smile sincerely welcomed me. It was her first visit to Ukraine. This strong and at the same time tender woman is the Manager of a huge Valpolicella wine consortium, that includes more than 2000 wineries and production companies famous all over the world with its Amarone wine. She was the first lady in Italy and in Europe who got that high position. Daily challenges made her the highly professional manager of a serious business. And today this wonderful woman discovers Ukraine.

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